Flat or round wire tightener



Nov. 27 1923.

C. J. ROTHERMEL FLAT on ROUND WIREEIGH'IENER ATTORNEYS.

Filed Jan. 25 1923 l mented Nev. 27, 1923.

CURTIS J'. ROTHERMEL, OF PHILADELPHZA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FLAT OB. ROUND WIRE TIGHTENER.

Application filed January 25, 1923.

My invention relates to the class of devices employed as ties to fasten together assemblages of articles.

, The special object of my invention is, however, the making of a tie or tightening device which is peculiarly adapted to fasten together large packages of asphalt shingles and tied have a tendency to shrink, so as to loosen the band member which the tightening device or tightener member secures in a normally tight or taut position.

In banding as a package considerable numbers of shingles made of asphalt, whether the bands be of flat metal or of ordinary wire of the desired diameter, the tendency of the shingles is to shrink so as to loosen the band which in consequence must be tightened.

My invention comprehends essentially two members, namely, a band or strap which encompasses the assembled shingles or other articles to be fastened, and a lever device of such formation that when it isapplied to the band or strap it will be capable of exerting upon it such leverage as will take up whatever slack may at the time of its application exist in the band, by folding the band upon itself, so as to speak.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings certain types and embodiments of bands whether of flat formation or of circular or elliptical cross section, which are at present preferred by me, because in practice they have given satisfactory and reliable results.

It is to be understood, however, that modi fications in form, proportions, dimensions and minor details may be made, and that the subject matter which I claim as novel is set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspectiveview of an oblong package of shingles fastened by my tighteners.

Figure 2 represents an assemblage in cubical form similarly secured.

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or kindred products which when assembled Serial No. 614,746.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 represent consecutively performed steps of the operation of tightenlng a band by my tightening device.

Figure 6 represents a plan of a band as tightened with the tightening device in final position. v

Figure 7 represents a central, longitudinal, slde sectional elevation of the structure of Figure 6.

Figures 8, 9 and 10 represent plans: of types of my tightening device embodying my nvention in somewhat different forms.

Figlue 11 represents in side elevation another embodiment of my invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, 1 designates an assemblage or package of asphalt shingles which have, assumedly, shrunk so as to have been tightened by the application of my tighteners to the bands which encompass them.

2 designates an upper or cover plate so proportioned as to be laid upon and cover the assemblage of shingles.

3 designates a lower or bottom plate generally corresponding to the cover plate.

According to the dimensions and proportlons of the package as an entirety, the number and disposition of the tightening bands is governed.

Thus, in Figure 1, I represent an oblong package enclosed by three tightening bands equi-spaced from each other and parallel, while in Figure 2, I represent an essentially square or cubical package towhich two tightenlng bands crossing each other are applied. a

The bands 1 in Figures 1 and.2 are fiat bands preferably made of more or less flexible or bendable metal, and as this is the preferred form of band, I have not, except in Figure 9, illustrated a band made of wire because the mode of application and tightening of a wire band is the same as that of a flat band.

In practical application, these bands are cut to the desired length to encompass a given package, and the ends are fastened to gether to make the band as tight a packageenclosure as is possible.

Assume, one or more tightening bands have been applied to a package and that by reason either of a looseness of the application or a shrinkage of the package itself, it

becomes desirable to tighten the bands,-the tightening, in practice of my invention, will be effected by the application of my tightening device '5, which is essentially of the following construction a An elongated body of metal 5, preferably of spring wire, of a predetermined length, is

bent at its ends to form, essentially, two

right-angular loops occupying the same plane, one of which 6 is preferably wider than the other 7.

This tightening device as above described is best illustrated in Figure 8,-modifications of it in which the narrow loop 7 is dispensed with and a straight bend 8 in the same plane as the wide loop 6 substituted for it, being illustrated in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10.

In Figure 9 the wide loop 6 and the narrow loop 7 are both internally bent as to both of their sides to form, opposing humps 9 which are adapted to retain aband 10 made of wire.

In Figure 10, I have represented the wide loop 6 as formed with only one hump 11 on one side, and the other side straight.

In this construction, I have also illustrated a straight bend 8 in place of the narrow loop 7, particularly illustrated in Figure 8.

The operation of my tightening device is shown in Figures 3, 4L, 5, 6 and 7.

Assuming that the type of tightener particularly illustrated in the foregoing figures, or that in which the broad loop 6 is embodied, is used, and, referring to Figure 3, it

will be understood that the broad loop 6 is first forced under the flat band 4, so that its free end is above the bandand the loop as a whole partly beneath and partly above the band.

When this application has been made, the body or straight length 5 will be pulled outwardly from the band until its bend 8 is freed from beneath the band, in order that the tightening device as a whole can be lifted as shown in Figure l, and turned over upon itself upon an imaginary axis running through the wide loop 6during which action the band is buckled over upon itself, and completely reversed to occupy the position represented in Figure 5, and thereafter the position represented'in Figure 6 in which the bend 8 has been forced under the band to retain the loop-formation which I have shown in Figure 7 and designated 12.

In other words,the entire tightening de vice is turned over upon itself to take up any slack in the band by forcing the formation of the tightening loop 12 in the band.

This operation may, of course, be practiced with the other forms of tightening device, and when, for instance, a loop-formation of lesser extent than that illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 is desired, the application of the tightening device to the band will be the utilization of the widths of the. typical loops 6 and 7 of Figure 8, sections of the band of difierent lengths may be taken up and bent intolonger or shorter loop-form ations, with the result that a greater or lesser degree of .tautness, or taking up, of the 7 band, may be effected.

While it is unnecessary especiallyto illustrate it, in the use of the tightening devices shown in Figures 9 and 10 upon wire bands, the same effect of a greater or less long ti glitening of said wire bands may-be effected;

The width of the loop formed on the band can be decreased by bending one of the loops such as, forexample, 6, as indicated at 13 in Figure 11. I

My present invention can be very economically manufactured and can be kept in stock at the various places of shipment so that the bands which have'become loose may be tightened, as occasion requires.

It willbe apparent that the band tighteners can be removed and used over again and it is not necessary to throw them away after they have once been used; Any desired number of these fasteners may be applied to the band as may be necessary to take up the slack. It will also be understood that it is not necessary to permanently fasten the ends of the'bands, as the present type of band tightener and fas tener can be employed to secure the ends of the band in fixed position. If the band becomes loose, the tightener can be removed and the bands drawn together by means of any of the conventional types of ratchet tying pawls now on the market and the band tightener then applied in position. In such case after the free endsof the band have been drawn together to overlap each other, a fastener is adjustedto the bands by causing them to enter into the slot and then pushing the opposite end of the fastener down, thus folding the bands around the Ushaped end of the tightener and fastener and when the tightener has been pushed down flush with the band, the opposite end of the U-shaped piece at such end is pushed under the band or bands which thereby prevents such end from coming loose.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 9 and 10, it will be seen that one or both walls of the loop which defines the amount of slack which is to be taken up maybe provided with a hump or indentation 11 which will form a recess or pocket to receive the wire and retain it in place and thereby prevent the tightener from becoming disengaged or slid off from the band when the latter is in the form'of a narrow band, ir-

respective of its contour in cross section. My present invention is designed to be employed in conjunction with packages of asphalt shingles or similar articles which, after having the bands fastened around them, contract or become smaller. -With asphalt shingles this occurs because the bands are put around the packages before the asphaltum becomes set and also the slate coating. A shrinkage or contraction thus takes place and the bands become loosened, sometimes to such an extent that the packages fall apart in transportation and handling. I

It will now be apparent that I have devised a new and useful fiat or round wire tightener, which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, inthe present instance, shown and described embodiments thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that these embodiments are susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A band tightener and fastener for packages having bands secured around them, the material of such packages being adapted to contract or shrink, of a band tightener and fastener, comp-risinga strip of material having at one end an offset loop between the arms of which the band of said package is received and having at its opposite end a lateral extension, whereby when the fastener is moved towards the band to tighten it the lateral extension can be inserted beneath the band to retain the fastener in locked position, said loop being disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the band tightener and fastener.

12. A band tightener and fastener, comprising a strip of material having at one end a loop disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the fastener and having at its opposite end a lateral extension, said loop being adapted to be bent whereby the width of the loop formed on the band can be decreased or increased.

CURTIS J. ROTHERMEL. Witnesses:

H. S. FAJnBANKs, C. D. MoVAY. 

